Basking Shark Facts

1. Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world, second to the whale shark and can reach up to 12 metres in length and 7 tonnes in weight! 2. Despite their enormous size, basking sharks feed exclusively on tiny zooplankton which they filter from the water through the gillrakers in their 5 large pairs of gills. 3. Unlike other filter feeding sharks like the megamouth and whale sharks, they feed completely passively, swimming with their 1 metre-wide mouths agape allowing water (and food) to flow in rather than actively sucking in water. 4. Whilst feeding, basking sharks can pass 2,000 tonnes of water per hour through their gills and can hold up to half a tonne of food in their stomachs at one time. 5. Basking sharks are easily identified at the surface by their dorsal fin and crescent-shaped tail both visible and often their large pointed noses will break the surface too. Their large gills which almost encircle the head should also be clearly visible. 6. Although known for and named after their feeding behaviour at the surface, appearing as if to bask in the sun, they will actually spend much of their time in deep water, spending most of the winter feeding at depths of up to 1,000 metres. One shark was even recorded as deep as 1,264 metres! 7. Basking sharks were once heavily hunted for their fins, meat and liver oil but in 1998 were granted protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and have since flourished in British waters making regular appearances each spring and summer.

Guillemot and Razorbill Facts

1. Guillemots and Razorbiils are members of the Auk family which also includes the Puffin. 2. They have a very penguin-like appearance with black heads and backs and white bellies and in fact the French name for the Razorbill is "le petit pingouin" which means little penguin. 3. The reason that the Penguin family and the Auk family have such a similar appearance is not because they are related, but because countershading is an effective camouflage technique when in the water. For any predators looking up from below, the white belly blends in with the brightness coming from above the surface of the water and looking down on the birds, the dark backs blend in with darkness of the deep water. 4. Guillemots and Razorbills can be easily differentiated by their colour, size and bills. Guillemots have more brownish feathers on the back and head, are smaller in size and have narrow pointed beaks, whereas Razorbills have black feathers, are larger in size and have a deep blunt beak, often with a white line down it and a razor sharp edge (hence the name). 5. Guillemots and Razorbills only come to land in and around the spring months to breed and nest, spending the rest of the year at sea. Although they both nest on coastal cliffs, Guillemots tend to pack together along narrow ledges whereas Razorbills prefer their own space and nest in individual clefts in the rocks. 6. They do not make nests and simply lay their eggs onto the bare rock. The eggs have evolved to be pointed at one end so if they are disturbed, they simply roll in a circle instead of off the cliff. 7. Their chicks leave the nest and plummet themselves towards the sea before they can even fly! Their parents guide them out to sea and continue to feed them for up to 3 more weeks until they develop their flight feathers. 8. They are excellent divers, feeding on various fish and crustaceans they will regularly dive to depths of 100m. In fact a guillemot was once recorded at 300m below the surface!